PC points or save money?

[sinophile888]

I am planning another holiday to China and am contemplating staying in Crowne Plaza hotels for the whole trip. This would include:
· 1 night @ $220
· 8 nights @ $160
· 5 nights @ $190 and
· 1 night @ $220.

From the PC website, it would appear that I would earn either 4 x 600 = 2400 QFF points or 10 PC points per US$ spent, about 2670 x 10 = 26700 PC points (one night in a hotel in Asia).

Qantas Airlines


At all InterContinental Hotels Group brands except InterContinental:
-Earn 600 miles per stay outside Australia.
-Earn 3 QFF points per AUD$ spent on full folio on stays inside Australia.



Am I reading the situation correctly?

I am interested to know if the opinion of this forum would be to book with my Priority Club membership thus gaining PC or QFF points or to search out the best deal from booking engines such as Agoda, Expedia etc. if that saved money.

I have used the Priority Club in the past with limited success. Lost points, wrong email address, wrong QFF number etc.

 

[markis10]

The cost of PC points is $USD30 per 5K, so that gives you a benchmark to go by, at those rates and your paying for it for leisure I would suggest looking at using points instead or using the family and friends promo which will be the cheapest you can get most places.

You might also wish to look at priority privilege which offers discounts in China for room rates and other benefits including dining:

China

Beijing ( 北京)

• Crown Plaza Park View Wuzhou

• Crowne Plaza Beijing Zhongguancun

• Crowne Plaza Beijing

• Crowne Plaza Beijing International Airport

• Crowne Plaza Sun Palace Beijing

• Holiday Inn Central Plaza Beijing

• Holiday Inn Chang An West

• Holiday Inn Deshengmen Beijing

• Holiday Inn Downtown

• Holiday Inn Lido

• Holiday Inn Temple of Heaven

• InterContinental Beijing Beichen

• InterContinental Financial Street

Huizhou

• Crowne Plaza Huizhou

Jinan ( 济南)

• Crowne Plaza Jinan

Qingdao ( 青岛)

• Holiday Inn Qingdao Parkview

• InterContinental Qingdao

Shanghai ( 上海)

• Crowne Plaza Century Park Shanghai

• Crowne Plaza Lake Malaren Shanghai

• Crowne Plaza Pudong Shanghai

• Holiday Inn Downtown Shanghai

• InterContinental Shanghai Pudong

Shenzhen (深圳)

• Crowne Plaza Shenzhen

• InterContinental Shenzhen

Suzhou (苏州)

• Holiday Inn Youlian Suzhou

Wuhan ( 武汉)

• Holiday Inn Tian An Wuhan

Xiamen(厦门)

• Crowne Plaza Paragon Xiamen

 

[AdamR]

While I appreciate the desire to use the loyalty scheme, those prices are insanely high for China. You can find much much better value by avoiding the international chains. Eg, in Beijing I stayed earlier in the year at the Lee Gardens Serviced Appartments in Jinyu Hutong (very central, two doors from the Peninsula, and across the street from the Novotel) for $82 per night. That was for a very nice studio serviced apartment. The staff were very helpful and the breakfasts were good.

In other places, prices can be even better. In Wendeng, Shandong I stayed in a nice hotel called the Kunyu for $35 per night. It had the biggest breakfast buffet I have ever seen - the table must have been 30m long!

 

[markis10]

You can have both of course, most of the Holiday Inn Express hotels price out at 450CNY which is $70 or so.

 

[kamchatsky]

The prices seemed very high to me for China, especially Aussie $ being so high these days. You really have to go to FT to sign up all those bonus points offers to make it all worth it, or just use the Family and Friends rate.

You can also look at Novotels which are cheaper than Crowne Plaza. Originally I was thinking of staying in CP Beijing but ended up booking at Novotel Beijing Xin Qiao because of the huge price difference. Holiday Inn Express are cheaper but usually they are in quite inconvenient locations.

 

[Mal]

I am interested to know if the opinion of this forum would be to book with my Priority Club membership thus gaining PC or QFF points or to search out the best deal from booking engines such as Agoda, Expedia etc. if that saved money.

Keep in mind that ICH hotels have a Best Rate Guarantee ( InterContinental Hotels Group | Lowest Internet Rate Guarantee ). I've never used it, but I believe others have had success.

 

[sinophile888]

Many thanks for all the replies so far.

We have visited China at least once a year for the last 8 years and usually look for a good deal especially at a new hotel offering opening specials. We have also stayed at Hiltons recently, booking in the January sale for Beijing, Bangkok and Melbourne South Wharf.

I made the choice of these particular Crowne Plaza hotels due to their location and/or Tripadvisor rankings.

The CP Changi Airport is the only option when overnighting in Singapore.

The CP Lijiang (Deluxe room) receives an excellent ranking on Tripadvisor.

We always stay at the CP Landmark (Studio room) in Shenzhen.

The Lijiang hotel was the only optional choice and I thought I may as well go with Tripadvisor as I have had good results in the past using the advice from that website.

I will certainly follow up the Lowest Internet Guarantee Rate. Special thanks to Mal. And I will go to the FT site to find any bonus offers. More thanks to edison.